


Insomnia

by Deus_Ex_Ash



Series: Made In Manchester [2]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: AbInsomni, Abandonment, Grief/Mourning, Let Matt Rest, M/M, Matt Is Legally Blind, Matt Is Salty AF, Near Is A Dick, Near's A Flirt, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 13:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11875977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deus_Ex_Ash/pseuds/Deus_Ex_Ash
Summary: Matt's sleeping schedule has been ruined since Mello left. One night, while wandering around, Matt runs into Near. They have a late night talk and Matt gets some closure... sort of.





	Insomnia

Matt’s sleep schedule had been royally fucked. Granted, it hadn't exactly been virginal to begin with. But now it was getting ridiculous. It wasn't like he wasn't  _ trying _ to stay awake for days at a time. It just kept fucking happening. Matt’d be up a 60 hour stretch and then be dead for a 20 hour stretch. It was maddening!

And it wasn't like he was doing anything meaningful during that time. Nothing seemed meaningful anymore. His academics could barely hold his attention, his videogames had suddenly become dreadfully dull, even hacking into government networks to reek good old fashioned mayhem had mysteriously lost its luster. That part was truly unsettling.

Part of that had to do with Matt’s visual impairment finally starting to wear him down. It hadn't really been an issue before but with the disappearance of his sighted guide (and possible friend), he was having to relearn his whole world again. This of course meant using a white cane from time to time. An act which Matt fucking despised.

It was stupidly late now. Matt had taken to wandering the dark and empty halls of Wammy’s House. He’d figured it was as good a way as any to reorient himself without bumping into anybody.

Matt was starting to get the hang of walking around the second floor when he'd come into one of the drawing rooms by mistake. He swore loudly. He'd thought he'd finally figured out this floor, and here it was throwing a random drawing room at him for no fucking reason.

Matt was thrown out of his thoughts by the sound of a quiet voice. “Must you swear so loudly?”

Matt found the voice coming from the window seat on the opposite wall. Matt could be forgiven for not noticing the speaker sooner. The fucker had a real knack for blending in.

“Near what the Hell are you doing up?”

Near did not look at Matt directly. Instead he opted to stare vaguely out the window. “Insomnia, the same as you I'd expect.”

Matt shoved his hands into his pockets. “What's got you up all night?”

“I am having difficulty with my- um- current case. I'm beginning to wonder if there was ever a crime to investigate at all, there's just so little evidence.” There was a dry mirth in Near’s voice. 

Matt did his best to imitate that voice. “Don't tell me you plan on giving up so soon Near?”

Near laughed, a brittle,   humourless laugh, like the sound of a hundred cicadas chirping simultaneously. ”Don't insult me Matt.” 

Matt contemplated briefly if Near had been threatening him and decided that he most likely wasn't. And even if he was, Matt felt pretty confident he could take Near in a fight.

“Whatever you say Near,” Matt leaned himself up against the wall behind him.

“So Matt,” Near had his fingers in his hair. “Why are YOU up so late hmmmn?”

Matt felt like a cicada was roosting in his mouth. “You're a smart kid Near. So don't act like you don't know.” 

Near gave a smile that probably wasn't for his benefit. “Don't tell me you've grown to care for him after all this time.”

“Eat a dick Near.”

“Would love too, but nobody around here will let me so…” Matt was positive Near was intentionally being a dick now.

“You know for two people who claim to hate each other,, you act so.much alike.” Matt hoped that was as big an insult to Near as it had been to Mello.

“At least I stayed behind and didn't run off like a child when things didn't go my way.” 

Near had hit a sore spot for Matt. Mello’s sudden disappearance from Wammy’s had left everyone reeling, particularly Matt. What had made it worse was that Mello had left without expl-

“What do you know about it?”

Near’s humorless laugh was back. “So you caught that huh?”

“No shit I caught that, now what'd you mean by it?” This was the first Matt had heard about Mello’s disappearance, he wasn't letting it go. “Tell me dammit!”

Near’s face went blank. He was no longer the picture mischievous malcontent, instead adopting a cold and detached expression. “If you'd stop shouting, I'd tell you.”

Matt bit down on his tongue hard. They stayed there in tense silence before Near spoke again.

“L is dead. He was killed by Kira. Since he died before either of us were named his successor, the idea was proposed that we work together. Mello did not like this idea. He took off shortly afterwards to try and catch Kira himself.” 

Matt felt like a thousand bugs were scuttling around in his gut. It was all so much to process. L was dead. And Near and Mello had both known about it and didn't even bother to tell him. 

“Why-”

Near cut him off before he could finish. “I cannot speak for Mello, but I kept this information private for a reason. Could you imagine the panic that would ensue if the children here had found out about L’s death.”

Matt could imagine it, he was starting to feel it now. If Kira could kill L… then that meant none of them were safe. Matt's mind flashed to Mello but he felt his insides flutter in revolution.

“Then why tell me?” His voice sounded bitter, even to his own ears.

“Because,” Near leaned forward emphatically. “I, at least, have the decency to tell you the truth. Even if it is painful to hear.”

Matt felt another wave of illness crawl up his body. Near, emotionless dickhead that he was, had at least told Matt about L when he'd asked. Granted, he'd been a complete knob about it from the word go. And Matt wasn't entirely convinced that Near couldn't have told Matt about it earlier. Still, it was more than Mello had done. He had to repay the favor.

Matt’s initial thought was offering to help Near with his current case. He knew that L had given Near and Mello cases to solve under pseudonyms in the past. But wait wasn't L…

“You're working the Kira Case now, aren't you?”

Near gave a small smile. “Even severely sleep deprived, you're still pretty sharp.”

Matt felt himself getting worked up. It was the first time he’d felt even close to human in months. “So a few months after L left for the Kira Case, I hacked his system-”

“You hacked into L’s computer?” Near sounded both shocked and impressed.

“Yeah, anyway, I managed to copy some of the files before he locked me out.”

Near had a contemplative look on his face. As if several pieces of a puzzle had just clicked into place. “Do you still have them?”

“Yeah, on a jump drive in my room.”  

Near’s eyes were alight and desperate for whatever information Matt could give him. “Show me.”

“Follow me,” Matt made for the door and he could hear Near following close behind. 

With this, Matt was killing two birds with one stone. Now he wouldn't be in the little cottonball’s debt. And should he ever meet up with Mello again, he would have something that he could throw right in his face. Maybe now, after Near had gone, Matt could finally get some sleep.


End file.
